How can we make churches/synagogues/mosqu... pay taxes?

Butterbar Bob

If they have to pay taxes, then so should all the charities and political organizations and private universities, etc.

Red Cross, DNC, NAACP, Harvard, PETA, UAW, etc.

It's all or none, not just your pet peeves. Either there ARE non-taxable institutions, or there are not.

Not just the ones you have decided to not support.

gsschulte

serperation of church and state. that means no funding either way.

ph_yo

Separation of church and state. Famous words spoke all the time by the left. If you hold those words true to your heart, then the church cannot be taxed by the state.

Got Shoes?

In the cases where church officials endorse political candidates, redefine their church's tax status to political organization.

Problem solved.

In other cases, I'm not sure. It would probably require a Constitutional Amendment.

Matt

Churches routinely provide services to the needy that the Government can't. Why would you want to do this. So the government could collect more money to buy bridges to nowhere?

claddaghmamma

From what I understand, churches and those who attend church, are responsible for huge amounts of charitable contributions. Conservative dwarf Democrats in charitable contributions. So, if you tax these organizations, then less money makes it to worthy goals.
I would rather my church choose where the money goes than Uncle Sam, especially under the democrats.

sand_in_the_vasoline

I don't get why you would tax organizations that are helping the needed, ie charities. They are not "businesses" because they are not making profits on their services and they don't (or shouldn't) charge for them.

Ministers offer counseling for no charge... Church services cost nothing to attend... Churches often distribute food, clothing and money to the needy in thier communities... And that's not to mention all the other services that are offered for free or next to nothing.

Ministers have to pay taxes on their salaries, as do any other employees.

The problem is not in the taxing/non-taxing of chruches. The problem is that the government has allowed so many lousy loopholes. The system needs to be fixed. Taxing churches would not fix the real problems but instead would hurt those churches that work on shoe string budgets (and there are many more of these than not).

elaeblue

The non-profit designation most churches have allow them to pay no taxes. However I agree with you that since churches and etc do charge for services they should have to pay taxes on the income from such paid services even if they pay no taxes on money donated by their congregations.

I think it should only be for services that the church or organization gets paid for that are taxed not everything they take in.
If we tax non profit organizations such as Red Cross, Salvation Army etc then we are penalizing the poorest amoung us. That is not right.

Underground Man

Ha! Good luck. It'll never happen.

kapute2

a Constitutional Amendment. then I'd have to charge you with trying to violate the 1st Amendment

Buffy Summers

Amend the IRS Code, Section 503 (sections a-c) by deleting it entirely. That is the basis of their income tax exemption, and most state and local governments would follow the lead by removind property, income and franchise tax exemptions.

It has been proposed before, but it had never passed.

James L

You can't, because they are privately funded charities. That whole seperation of church and state works both ways.

Gypsy Gal

That is a sin as I know in the olden days but hell today it is big business for sure soLets talk to the people about that?

Elliott Ness

One way to get some to start paying taxes right away is to enforce the law that states they will lose their tax-exempt status if they get involved in politics.
But since any member of Congress that suggests that will be labeled anti-religion and be compared to the devil, this will not happen.

wheniawoke

your an idiot. hope it's not to hot in hell for ya

old school

Change the laws.

shermynewstart

Supposedly if they are involved in politics, they have violated the church/state clause which says they don't have to pay taxes. A lot of them are letting politicians to use their house of worship for a "soapbox", and even doing some fund-raising.

guesscookie88888

i dont think they should have to pay for things that they can prove will benifit the church but ...cable, sure they should pay taxes on that. did you know taht some families actually hold weekly meetings to call themselvs churches and not have to pay taxes. its horriable!!!

Someone

Unfortunately there are no tangible goods exchanged, find that, and you can tax them. Perhaps you can come up with a "Blessing Tax"

Meatball ;) sub

Part of the problem with that is that they help the community just like the United Way and other non-profits. So you would have to tax the business part that is used to pay the clegy and such, but it wouldn't be fair to tax the charity work that they do when other non-profit BUSINESSES aren't taxed.

coolio

that's going to be hard to do because the Church's especially in the mosques, and synagogues have the voters and most of the politions in their pockets

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